Haute Health Care: Seven Products to Help You Live Longer and Look Better

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Haute Health Care: Seven Products to Help You Live Longer and Look Better

Americans spend a fortune on health care, about $2.5 trillion each year. This covers everything from surgical tools to weight loss plans, but despite all the money spent, the aesthetics of these products are on life support. Whether you're looking to shed pounds, deal with diabetes, train like a Navy SEAL or prepare for the zombie apocalypse, these tools bring design excellence to the doctor's office and gym.
TRX
Fun Fact: Because Navy SEALs sometimes need to repair gear on the fly, their training includes extensive sewing know-how. Randy Hetrick used those lessons (and some gained from a Stanford MBA) to stitch together some parachute cord and an old Jiu-Jitsu belt. The result is TRX, a suspension workout system that facilitates pull-ups, rows, and all the exercises would-be warriors need to stay fit and depose dictators.
Photo: TRX Training

Imagine if Herman Miller made dental equipment instead of office furniture. The Elevance Dental Chair aims for that kind of appealing aesthetic while going a step further to make you feel comfortable. Built-in massaging and heating elements help relax patients who are nervous about needles, scrapers, and other frightening tools. And the chair's wide range of motion makes it easy for dentists to host a variety of patients. Alas, slick styling isn't enough to make a root canal feel like a trip to Design Within Reach, but it's a sweet start.
Photo: MidMark

MobiLegs
Crutches haven’t changed much since the days of Tiny Tim. After breaking a heel and carting around a pair of unfashionable sticks, designer Jeff Webber founded Mobilegs to give the category a fresh look. He threw out the old plywood construction topped with foam rubber pads and reinvented the crutch to look and function like a sleek performance tool that might be at home on the Starship Enterprise.
The molded plastic supports look like Aeron chairs for armpits and provide vents to promote airflow (and prevent pit stains). The rubber feet have a slight curvature to help them match the gait of active users. MobiLegs are basically the iPhone of the "Assisted Mobility Aid" set and can even be customized with patterned skins, just like your favorite iDevice.
Photo: Mobilegs

Bespoke Innovations
Founded in 2009 by an industrial designer and orthopedic surgeon, Bespoke Innovations uses 3-D printers and selective laser sintering technology to make custom prosthetics for people who’ve suffered traumatic amputation. These replacement arms and legs aren’t just functional; each one is customized to reflect the personality of the wearer. They’re as much sculpture as medical device. One man who lost his leg in a motorcycle crash had a piece of leather jacket—a memento of the accident— incorporated into the design.
Photo: Bespoke Innovations

DuoFertility
No bathroom acrobatics here. DuoFertility is trying to make monitoring ovulation easier, more affordable, and discreet. The InDuo system wirelessly connects a body patch that measures basal body temperature to an iPod-inspired device that alerts would-be parents to peak fertility. In an industry where peeing on a stick is considered state of the art, this is a welcome advance.
Photo: DuoFertility

"Zombies, Run!" is an immersive audio "game" for the iPhone that encourages people to run faster and further by making them feel as if the undead are on their tail. Slow your pace and you hear zombies grunting; start sprinting and fellow survivors urge you on to safety.
The small team behind "Zombies, Run!" has created a new mobile design pattern that makes people want to book it by crafting a compelling, narrative experience. Where most app designers focus on slick graphics or the latest style of connectivity, "Zombies, Run!" uses task-focused serialized story elements, turning real life into an episode of The Walking Dead.
Photo: Six to Start